No fewer than seven individuals have died and a significant number remain unaccounted for in the wake of a craft carrying around 200 migrants trying to get to European shores sank off the coast of the Gambian coast, officials state.
The boat overturned in the early hours of Thursday close to the village of Jinack in the North Bank Region and it was subsequently discovered "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Ninety-six people were pulled to safety and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the capsized craft that was bound for the Spanish Canary Islands.
The hazardous trip over the Atlantic has become an increasingly common route for African asylum seekers seeking entry into the EU.
Almost 47,000 individuals arrived at the Canaries in last year and estimates more than 9,000 migrants have lost their lives in the attempt.
Ongoing Mission
After Wednesday's accident, The Gambian Navy began a search operation, using a number of military boats and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the military reported.
Authorities say some of the deceased are foreign nationals and that their details are still being checked.
The remains of the seven people who drowned were found, and a dozen of the saved are said to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is a frequent corridor used by migrants seeking to get to European countries, typically through hazardous voyages by sea and land.
Recently, the European bloc has established pacts with several Maghreb states with the goal of limiting irregular migration.
